Fiorello says Amadeus will host Passaparola on Canale 5, citing unconfirmed sources

The spoiler on Rai Radio 2

Fiorello closed the 29 October episode of La Pennicanza, which he hosts with Fabrizio Biggio on Rai Radio 2, with a tip about his friend and colleague Amadeus. He said he had heard from his sources that Mediaset was likely to offer Amadeus the quiz Passaparola. The remark came in the final minutes of the programme and was delivered with his usual irony, so whether it was a joke or a real scoop remained an open question the following day. He added that someone at Mediaset had told him the offer would probably come.

“Amadeus will do Passaparola! Maybe Amadeus doesn't know it yet, but I have my sources.”

Passaparola and the Canale 5 plan

Passaparola is a quiz made famous by Gerry Scotti, and Mediaset is reportedly weighing a return of the show to Canale 5. Il Fatto Quotidiano notes that no official confirmation has been given. One scenario is that the show airs in the summer, possibly in the access prime time slot now held by La Ruota della Fortuna. In that case Amadeus would go head to head with Stefano De Martino and Affari Tuoi, the programme Amadeus himself hosted before leaving Rai. Fiorello was emphatic about the idea and argued the format could match the success of La Ruota della Fortuna under Amadeus.

“In my opinion he should do it right away, I think Passaparola is one of the most beautiful and fun games.”

He also jokingly warned Rai's management to take Amadeus back quickly, or risk losing him to Mediaset.

Amadeus's career since Nove

Amadeus and Warner Bros. Discovery announced in June the early termination of the contract that had brought him to Nove in 2024. Since then he has worked as a judge on Amici, the talent show hosted by Maria De Filippi. During a live phone call on La Pennicanza a few days before the spoiler, he told Fiorello that he was with De Filippi until the end of May and would then be free. Fanpage reads the rumoured move as part of a wider turn to classic formats, arguing that it reflects the decline of low-cost generalist TV. The timeline below lists the milestones named in the coverage.

Other remarks from the episode

The same programme featured director Marco Risi as a guest, and Fiorello listed some of his films, including Mary per sempre and Fortapàsc. Fiorello also commented on the previous evening's Tale e Quale Show, in which Meloccaro impersonated him. He said that edition had drawn 20% and claimed that his own late-night show, La Nottatanza, had passed 11%.